Here we have Optimus Prime in his vehicle mode, which is yet another Cybertronic version of his truck mode we've seen so many times of late. Red in the front, blue on the back, flat nose, headlights on the top, blah blah blah. I will say, in defense of this alt mode, is the fact that it does distinguish itself a lot more than the norm. Examples include the guns in the front rather than having the usual smokestacks on the back of the alt mode, as well as the single-piece windshield (which reminds me of Animated Optimus's Cybertronian form somewhat). It manages to loom more like a Cybertronian truck of sorts compared to the Siege version, but it's not as alien as the WFC game version in all honesty.
The forearms are painfully exposed from the sides, and nothing is done to make them hidden away (and a simple 5mm post isn't enough to save it). TThe axe can be stored in-between the legs, but it's something I'd expect more than the aforementioned forearms not being stowed away.
The gun can be removed from the front of the vehicle mode's bumper, allowing you to display the truck without them sticking out like the smokestacks do. That being said, they do leave behind an extra pair of holes not unlike the ones above the bumper. Yes, there is a bit of partsforming present here that I didn't expect at all.
Transformation is another slight variation of the G1 Optimus Prime trope. It has bits of Siege with the way the legs transform and the backpack rotating onto the back, a bit of an upper body rotation not unlike Classics, and the arm transformation is mostly newish but nothing that great. I feel like some may find the parts clashing because of the size, or how the cod piece can "tab" downwards or detach because there is no pin. The resulting robot mode is yet another rehash of the G1 silhouette, only this time the silver bits are given a beigish tint, and the forearms are beige instead of silver. Hoo-ray. I will say that there are fans looking at this and saying that the figure looks worse than the mainline version. I don't really see anything that would justify one over the other than the use of a cooler shade of gray instead of beige and the proportions better matching how Optimus would look like as Orion Pax rather than as Optimus Prime (at least pre-Transformation Cog). I think the Threezero and Yolopark figures would demonstrate the look much better, but I feel that the approach here for the Studio Series toy feels more like Hasbro trying to work in a figure that is based on a main character that kids could theoretically afford...even though Deluxes nowadays in the line are the price that a Voyager used to cost so yeah no.
His head sculpt is another stab at the G1-ish design, with the mouthplate and the forehead blah blah blah, I honestly find it looking more AI generated with how it deviates some details and adds a bunch of made-up ones. Hell, the design as a whole feels more like an AI generated Optimus Prime design rather than one built up from the ground. And I'm not saying this as an "AI bad" person, it's just the vibe I get from some robot designs in the movie compared to prior character designs apart from Earthspark feeling more like they were made to be built from scratch. Optimus Prime's articculation consists of ball joints at the neck and hips, rotation at the shoulders moving front and back, the biceps, th wrists, and the thighs, and hinges for the outward shoulder movement, elbows, knees, and ankles. His axe can slide over his hand to complete his battle-ready look as he takes on the Decepticons and the like. It interestingly has a hole on the middle, but it may be for aesthetic purposes since I can't seem to get the smokestacks into the holes without force come breakage.
The smokestacks can be removed from their shoulders and work as miniguns if you really want. The other blasters from truck mode can only be tucked on the back, and they do not stay well in place. These feel the most like an afterthought for this toy.
The Matrix of Leadership is a thing I like about this toy. Of course, it's based on the Geewun look, but it is painted nicely and has a unique method of being held by Prime: its tabs slide into the fingers rather than requiring you to use articulated hands for this feature. The shoulders also feature butterfly joints so you can better post him lighting our darkest hour, a trait similar to both SS86 Hot Rod and Kingdom Rodimus Prime.
As far as reuses are concerned, this Hong Kong-exclusive redeco was only part of an offer where a certain number of Transformers toys purchased would give customers this war-torn Optimus Prime. The black wash and silver paint damage applied to this guy reminds me heavily of the custom Transformers I saw from a YouTuber long ago, and it's only a shame that the one blaster accessory didn't get this treatment because BOY IS IT STICKING OUT LIKE A SORE THUMB!
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For a robot mode size comparison, here he is with G1 Optimus Prime, showcasing a fairly small size difference. G1 Prime is more or less a small Voyager when you think about it, making the new Prime's height closer to the size class he is usually associated with. Honestly. TF One may be a movie that'll be seen as just okay as someone like me in a minority of the fandom, but this figure is alright for what it's doing. Not the Cybertronian Prime I'd come up with, but it does the job fine enough. He is one of the two A-Level Deluxes in the line, and another is one I kind of like more but for different reasons.
Final ranking: ⭐⭐⭐ and a half out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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